Private Military Companies
Private military companies (or PMCs) have their roots in thousands of years worth of mercenary history. Though many private companies contracted for military and peacekeeping operations fill a variety of roles not directly related to combat, the private military industry has become the subject of increasing controversy over the last few decades. Definition Most modern-day private security operators dislike the term "mercenary" to describe their occupation. Many find it a pejorative term and choose to avoid it, preferring the distinction of a private military/security "consultant" or "employee." The most notable definition of a "mercenary," as opposed to "private security operator" or other similarly connotative terms, is described in the United Nations Mercenary Convention. It has been pointed out by both opponents and supporters of the private military industry that the resolution's definition does not adequately cover modern-day private military corporations. The full definition laid out by the Convention can be viewed here, under Article I. Condensed History This condensed record will focus on some of the more notable points of private military history. As such, many otherwise important events and details will be omitted for the sake of space. One of the earliest recorded examples of mercenaries in war is the Battle of Kadesh pre-1200 B.C. In the Middle Ages, before the widespread presence of national standing armies, private companies saw frequent use by monarchs and city-states in Europe. From the late 1880s onward, most nation-states began to monopolize the use of coercive force with their own armies, normalizing the state military system most are familiar with today. Executive Outcomes, what most people recognize as the first "modern" private military company, was largely composed of White soldiers from South African Defense Forces, themselves expatriates from Rhodesia. EO is perhaps most famous for their operations in Sierra Leone in the late 90s, for which they are credited with ending the Civil War by bringing the RUF to the bargaining table. While democratic elections did soon take place, the government was pressured into terminating its contract with EO prematurely. Hostilities resumed shortly thereafter. Despite the passage of the Mercenary Convention, in 2001 the United Nations Security Council hired Kroll Associates for intelligence operations investigating the UNITA's "guns-for-gems" trade in Angola. Space Imaging Inc. was also hired by the U.N. for satellite observation of Iraqi industrial and weapons sites. In addition, the United Nations has hired private companies for demining operations in nearly every U.N. peacekeeping mission. Today, private military corporations operate all over the world, from maritime security off the coast of Somalia to the Conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. The United States In the United States, private soldiers have seen use since the nation's inception. Private militias funded by wealthy landowners contributed heavily to the success of the American Revolutionary War, along with the aid of foreign soldiers-of-fortune such as the Prussian Baron von Steuben, the Polish-Lithuanian Tadeusz Kościuszko, and the French Marquis de Lafayette. During the late Nineteenth Century and the early Twentieth Century, the Pinkerton National Detective Agency served as personal security for President Abraham Lincoln and private law enforcement. They were also involved in more controversial strike-breaking operations. In WWII, the Flying Tigers, a private air force squadron composed of former American military personnel, participated in operations against the Imperial Japanese Air Force. Pilots were paid bonuses for each kill and often made three times their former salaries as "official" military personnel. In the Vietnam Conflict, South Vietnamese civilians disgruntled with both the North and the South were hired as mercenaries in Civilian Irregular Defense Groups, such as those organized by Special Forces soldier and CIA paramilitary Billy Waugh. More recently, private military contractors have seen service in the Middle East and New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina. Several controversies have resulted from their use, such as the implication of contractors in the Abu Ghraib prison scandal and the legal immunity of private security personnel in Iraq. Types of Companies Today There are three major umbrellas of private military companies, though not all private contractors hired for use in military operations fall neatly under these three categories. Non-Lethal Service Companies Provide support services for logistics operations Examples: * Halliburton * KBR, Inc. * SAIC Military Consultant Firms Offer training and advising programs for state military personnel Examples: * MPRI Inc. * Vinell Corporation * DynCorp International Private Security Companies Provide risk management consulting and private security services Examples: * Executive Outcomes * Olive Security * ArmorGroup International * Xe Services LLC (formerly Blackwater Worldwide) Notable Individuals * James Ashcroft, author of Making a Killing * Robert Young Pelton, author of Licensed to Kill: Hired Guns in the War on Terror * Billy Waugh, Special Forces soldier and CIA paramilitary References * Singer, Peter W. Corporate Warriors: The Rise of the Privatized Military Industry. New York: Cornell University Press, 2008. Print. * Pelton, Robert Young. Licensed to Kill: Hired Guns in the War on Terror. New York: Three Rivers Press, 2007. Print. * Shadow Company. Dir. Nick Bicanic and Jason Bourque. Purpose Films, 2006. Film. Suggestions for the Page * Insert suggestions for the page